Russell Pearce was given the boot by his constituents in the first successful recall of a sitting state Senate president in U.S. history.

​Russell Pearce can kiss his powerful seat in the Arizona Senate goodbye -- the current Senate president conceded defeat tonight to his opponent, Jerry Lewis, in this year's unprecedented recall election.

In another blow to the Valley's far-right-wingers, Democrat Greg Stanton defeated Tea Party-leaning Wes Gullett in the Phoenix mayoral race. More on that here.

As Pearce himself pointed out during his concession speech, "It doesn't look like the numbers are going in my direction with this."

Pearce didn't technically concede, but his campaign manager, Ed Phillips, later told reporters that was his intention.

"[Pearce's speech] was a concession," Phillips tells KTAR -- although, he didn't accept our phone call, or immediately respond to an e-mail.With results in from each of Legislative District 18's 16 precincts, Pearce trailed Lewis by 8 percentage points -- 45 percent to Lewis' 53 percent -- lending credibility to the idea that cheaters never win. (Pearce, as you may recall, ran one of the slimier campaigns in recent memory -- trying to manipulate democracy by recruiting a sham candidate to steal votes from Lewis, for example.)

If the percentages hold in favor of Lewis, Pearce would be required to step down immediately after the results are official. That would make him the first sitting state Senate president in the history of the United States to ever lose a recall election.

Pearce, author of Arizona's controversial immigration legislation, Senate Bill1070, is the first lawmaker to be recalled in the history of Arizona. His ties to the recent Fiesta Bowl scandal, as well as his fierce anti-immigrant policies, apparently turned off the majority of LD 18 voters -- many of whom voted for him in last year's election.

"If being recalled means keeping your promises, then so be it," Pearce told reporters and supporters just after 9 p.m.

Pearce's ouster, as some of his more-moderate GOP colleagues in the Senate have told New Times, should serve as a message to other Republican lawmakers that they need to take a more moderate approach to immigration reform -- unless they want to go the route of their now-ousted leader, that is.

Pearce's future is unclear. There was a lot of talk among his supporters about his running for the seat from which he was booted next year. There was also discussion of the soon-to-be-former Senate president running for higher office.

"Regardless of what you may hear," Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio tells New Times (while poking us in the chest). "[Russell] is a kind guy when you get to know him...knowing Russell, he's not gonna go away and hide. He may have other plans. If he does [run for office], no matter what he runs for, I'm gonna support him."

The sheriff went on to tell us that "the only Jerry Lewis I know is a comedian," but if Lewis (LD 18's new senator, not the aging comedian) wants to work with him, his door always is open.

He didn't concede. He made a speech about if he loses and they do recall him. They still haven't finished counting all the mail in ballots...consisting of mostly old people who are republican..so we have to wait a minute.

The sheriff went on to tell us that "the only Jerry Lewis I know is a comedian," but if Lewis (LD 18's new senator, not the aging comedian) wants to work with him, his door always is open.Gosh, Jerry, aren't you flattered that such an important person as Joe Arpaio remembered your name? And what a great honor it must be for you that this very important sheriff has even indicated that his door is always open to you if YOU want to work with HIM. Never mind that the highly esteemed and revered Joe Arpaio apparently doesn't fully understand his job description as one who enforces and must abide by the laws enacted by the legislature, or that he offers no willingness to work with YOU in that regard, nevertheless it is the utmost compliment. He might even allow you to bow down in homage before him and kiss his ring.....or his tie tack.

As a vet and patriot of the true freedoms American stands for and tries to demonstrait throughout the world while frailed, complicated and at times unpopular, i want to say THANK YOU LD18 voters. This is a true step in the right direction for this great state. The best solutions can not be found with a heavy hand but in insight through a soft ear!

I bet the republicans didnt expect people from another state to start this. And that is really what it takes here because the media has everyone in Arizona brainwashed and cant think for themselves. Arizona you need to "WAKE UP"

Pearce, you idiot! You really have a problem with reality and chronic lying. You wern't voted out because you "kept your word". You were voted out because you lost the respect of many of your previous supporters. You are a bully. Your "my way or the highway" attitude has really gotten old. Pretty poetic, your commment months ago..."if they want to unelect me, let them unelect me". Guess what? You just got unelected. Your arrogance is second to none and people are sick of it. I voted against you because I don't trust you anymore. The Fiesta Bowl thing, I kept waiting for you to show the cancelled checks you promised to show us. I defended you to friends, telling them "he has the checks, you'll see. You let me down. Your comment to the reporter regarding the checks "I don't have to show you anything" was the begining of the end for me. The Olivia Cortez thing, you stated you knew nothing about it. If you had any integrity at all you would have told your Mindless Zombies (Greg Western) et.al to stop with the Cortez Sham. You could have done the right thing and chose not to. I want the boarder secure. I want the illegals gone but if I have to eat a $%*& sandwich ie...(you) to get it done I'm going to find another way. Glad you lost, glad you're gone. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

I love it when a outsider can break the status quo! I know the idiots that surrounded Pearce will not fully understand that fact but if it makes them feel just a little uneasy before they pass their dumb-ass legislation then Job Well Done!!! How many jobs did Russell bring into the state?

Thank God! Now the residents of LD 18 can have sane, common-sense, rational representation. Now if we can only rid ourselves of Arpaio in the next election. These crazy doddering racist old senile old men have got to go!

It's the height of delusion, Tina, to believe that a politician sitting in some office most likely furnished very comfortably with taxpayer money, is more valuable to Americans then people who are defending them on the street level. As for the laws they enact, most of these cretons haven't even read them.

Well said cannondax. How about Raul, "lets economically nuke Arizona, and punish its hardworking small business people. IS HE NEXT? Are you going to lead the charge against him for being a bully? We won't hold our breath.

Well said Cannon, I always knew rus-SELL was a corrupt piece of shit, I am glad you voted against him, he doesn't deserve the respect or votes of Arizonans, we can now move forward and bring back our state, where honor, respect, and character matters. thank you for your vote on behalf of Arizona.

How many jobs did Raul Grijalva bring into the state. Last most people heard of him, he was trying to RUIN jobs in the state with his world-wide boycott fantasies of punishing, honest, hardworking business people. Something he knows at least as little about as Pearce does.

Over your head, Booby. And it's funny that you would filter this through "hatred" as this is how you really see things. You clearly did not listen to the interview because if you you did you would not see "hatred" but an examination of how "ignorant" those people are who consumer the media products of the 1%. Just like you.

Some of them are admittedly plain nuts. I'll agree with you on that. Am not a "Teabagger" myself, but the left has so misrepresented the philosophy of these people that it's almost criminal. What does the Tea Party say it's central philosophy is? Check it out. This is what you'll find. They are absolute believers in the Constitution and equal rights for everyone. The Constitution is practically a religion for them and the only racists that might occasionally go to those meetings, are regularly slammed and told to exist. They don't want them they are ignored. But the left will not make this clear to people, because they are a threat for grassroots change. Why is it, that if they are some kind of racist Republican sub-group, as the left constantly implies, does the Republican Party elite want practically nothing to do with them? Because they are a threat to the elite of right and the left. They were beginning to get organized. That is why the Main Stream News Media, which everyone knows lies to the public on a daily basis, constantly berated them. The Occupu Wall Street folks on the other hand, don't get the Republicans or the Democrats worried, because they aren't organized. This is the whole point, organization is what threatens the existing order. But to repeat, the Tea Party has constantly refused any talk based on a racial philosophy. It's the left, IN MY OPINION, that divides people on a racial basis. Anyway, that's my take from watching this stuff longer than I even should care to.

Well Booby, I am too a European-American and a proud Arizonan, but when arguing against tea baggers and right wingnuts I find myself taking the side of Mexicans, or native Americans, so much so that you would not think I have any European blood in me, but the truth of the matter is that I can not stand some of this vitriol that comes out of extreme right wingnuts,

I'm not suggesting the guys comments aren't often accurate. But they are shot through and through with an extreme prejudice towards European-Americans, or as he says, "white people',etc. There is hardly a comment he makes that doens't prove this is true. He disses southerners on a regular basis. Although I am not a southerner myself, I have been to many of those states over the course of the last forty years. They are some of the nicest, and friendliest people I've come across. So what the guys problem is with these people and those places I don't get. The way he comments on them, you'd think there are still seperate drinking fountains and restrooms,etc. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

Too bad, I was hoping you were drifting away from the dark side. Anyway I find Mikefrombisbee's posts to be accurate and I agree with him on pretty much all of his posts so I would have to disagree with you on that one, then again me disagreeing with you is par for course isn't it?